Dear John,
In 2016, when my wife Martha and I were discussing my soon-to-begin tenure as president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, we had no idea what the Lord had planned for her during this chapter of our lives. We both earnestly prayed that He would open opportunities for her to become involved in what He was doing through the ministry. Little did we know then the amazing plans He had in store!
Martha is an artist by gifting and by trade. Soon after I started at Prison Fellowship, she began investigating ways she could use her talents for the good of incarcerated people. By 2017, Martha and Stephanie Segel, another artist and friend of the ministry, had developed
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Create: New Beginnings , a series of Christ-centered restorative art workshops designed for women in prison, jails, and reentry facilities. Rooted in Scripture and the
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core values of the Prison Fellowship Academy ,
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this program empowers women to acknowledge significant emotions and develop self-awareness through the lens of artistic expression. Through individual and collaborative artwork, participants experience a sense of community, restoration, and purpose.
This spring, we saw more than 10 Create: New Beginnings classes launch across the country, from Florida to Alaska. These launches included one in South Boise Women’s Correctional Institute, where each Wednesday evening, 20 women have gathered to use art to work through difficult topics such as shame, self-doubt, empathy, and forgiveness.
How can art help women with traumatic pasts heal? Martha shares, “The workshops can help you to identify your emotions around a particular personal experience. This can be the first step to healing. If you can discuss these emotions either verbally or via an art form, it can help continue the healing process.”
Many women who have gone through the program in other facilities have shared with us the impact it has had on their lives. One woman in California wrote, “This program allowed me to create something beautiful from so much pain.”
Jen, who grew up learning to paint still-life art with her grandma, reconnected with her love of art in prison, participating in Create: New Beginnings in Minnesota. Having returned to the community, Jen continues to share her passion for art by showing her paintings in the local community and volunteering with a nonprofit that uses art to empower incarcerated people.
Because we know this program has the potential for impacting women outside of prison as well, I’m thrilled to share that we will be publishing Create: New Beginnings as a small group curriculum with Tyndale House Publishers! Beginning November 7, women in church small groups and Bible studies across the country will be able to experience the same freedom and hope that comes with processing emotions and struggles through art. We’ll share more information on how you can get involved as the date gets closer, but if you’d like to pre-order the book today, you can do so
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here .
Would you
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pray with us as we seek the Lord’s favor in opening doors for ministry? We know that as we continue to expand programming to prisons across the country, we will see lives transformed and families restored. Your
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support makes all of our work possible, so thank you for joining us in this important work.
In His name,
JAMES J. ACKERMAN
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Prison Fellowship P.O. Box 1550, Merrifield, VA, 22116-1550 US
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